Saadat of Paghman:(Saadat=Arabic plural for Sayyid). The term relates in general to descendants in the male lineage of the Prophet Muhammad whose ancestral home is situated in Paghman.In particular it has been used to refer to a branch whose offshoots have dedicated themselves to bridge the non-negligeable gap between Islamic and Christian inspired ways of thought, and of which the present article illustrates some of the results. Sayyid (Arabic: ‎ ) (plu. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... Paghman is a town in the hills near Kabul, Afghanistan. ...

Part of the story of these Saadat of Paghman (or Sayyids of Paghman), has been told by Saira Shah,the daughter of one of its most famous descendants Sayyid Idries Shah in her book:"The Storytellers Daughter." where she records her journey to the roots of her family near the Paghman Gardens in war torn Afghanistan (Michael Joseph ed,2003)[1] Saira is an author, reporter and documentary filmmaker. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Best known for his many contributions to a particular brand of Sufi studies inspired by the Naqshbandi orientation traditionally associated with the Paghmani family of Saadat, Sayyid Idries Shah is on record as a 20th century author of numerous books, holder of numerous awards, member of the Athenaeum Club (februari 1976), Life governor of the Royal Hospital and Home for Incurables, Governor of the Royal Humane Society, etc. His achievements and family background were extensively published in "Who's Who" following the course of his career. Sufi studies: a particular branch of comparative studies that uses a. ... Naqshbandi (Naqshbandiyya) is one of four major Sufi orders (tariqa) of Islam. ... The Athenaeum Club in 1830. ... The Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability, in Putney in southwest London, is an independent medical charity, which undertakes research and provides specialist services to meet the needs of people with complex neurological disabilities resulting from damage to the brain or other parts of the nervous system. ... This society was founded in England in 1774 for the purpose of rendering first aid in cases of drowning and for restoring life by artificial means to those apparently drowned. ...

His paternal grandfather Sayyid Amjad Ali Shah became Nawab of the Jagir of Sardhana [2], near Meerut, north of Delhi -Uttar Pradesh, since after the death of the notorious Begum Samru in 1835 the overlordship had reverted to the equally notorious Sayyid Qutubuddin Jan Fishan Khan Paghmani.(see S.Shah 2003) The Nawab is said to have encouraged the establishment and development of research centers linking Eastern and Western thinkers since 1895 (ref:Bashir M. Darvish 1976). Nawab (Urdu: نواب ) was originally the subadar (provincial governor) or viceroy of a subah (province) or region of the Mughal empire. ... A Jagir is a small territory granted by a ruler to an army chieftain (called a sardar in Marathi language) in recognition of his military service. ... Meerut is an ancient city located to the north-east of New Delhi in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. ... It has been suggested that National Capital Territory of Delhi be merged into this article or section. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: उत्तर प्रदेश, Urdu: اتر پردیش), also popularly known by its abbreviation UP, is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Union of India. ... Begum Samru (d. ...

Sayyid Amjad Ali Shah's son --the father of Idries and Sayyid Omar Ali Shah-- Sayyid Ikbal Ali Shah, was the first of the lineage to begin writing extensively for the West: a.o."The General Principles of Sufism." in Hibbert Journal (vol. 20, 1921, 2, pp523-535); "Islamic Sufism" London 1933 - Delhi 1998. His work ran parallel with that of Hazrat Inayat Khan, who travelled and taught in the West from 1910 till 1926. Inayat Khan also had his roots in the Delhi area - heartland of the Mughal empire - through his grandfather Ustad C.G.Khan Maula Bekhs. Although not always appreciated by their respective audiences they had a spiritual bond in the vital and humourous Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer. In his "Islamic Sufism" (1933) where he outlined the various branches of the Naqshbandi Order (see:Delhi 1998 pp84-98) Sayyid Ikbal Ali Shah included a chapter: "The Sufi conception of the Chisti Order." (see:Delhi 1998 pp247-259). Sayyid Ikbal Ali Shah was Indian Council for Cultural Relations Professor for West Asia and North Africa until his accidental death in Morocco in 1969. Hazrat Inayat Khan (July 5, 1882 - February 5, 1927), founder of Universal Sufism, and the Sufi Movement International, came to the west as a representative of several musical traditions of his native India. ... The Mughal Empire, (Persian: دولتِ مغل) was an empire that at its greatest territorial extent ruled most of the Indian Subcontinent, then known as Hindustan, and parts of Afghanistan and Persia, between 1526 and 1707. ... Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti (1141 - 1230 AD), also known as Gharib Nawaz, is the most famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order of South Asia. ... Naqshbandi (Naqshbandiyya) is one of four major Sufi orders (tariqa) of Islam. ...

Naqshbandi and Chisti were equally related in context in one of Idries Shah's earliest publications "Oriental Magic" (Ryder and Co, London 1957) -translated into French as "La Magie Orientale" par Sayed Idries Shah, Président de l'Oriental Culture League, Membre de l'Institut d'Ethnologie de Londres, Lecteur au Jamaluddin Institute of Islamic Sciences de Londres; avant-propos de Louis Marin, membre de l'Institut, Président de l'Académie des Sciences Morales et Politiques. -in Bibliothèque Historique Payot, Paris 1957. Naqshbandi (Naqshbandiyya) is one of four major Sufi orders (tariqa) of Islam. ... The Chishti Order was founded by Khwaja Abu Ishaq Shami (the Syrian) (d. ...

When Idries Shah started his famous introduction of Sufism with its highlight in 1964 -"The Sufis", with an introduction by Robert Graves (Doubleday, ed) - there was as yet no sign of internet, so he designed his work to be digested at the pace of studious (but relaxed) reading. As his work unfolded -and was published by Octagon Press along with the classics he referred to in his texts- the reader willing to take his lead was guided in the experience of gathering original Sufi material.(see Sufi studies) This could be via tales and legends (at times collected in the manner of the great Max Müller -see:World Tales New York 1979); through hilarious studies in comparative antropology or in the collections of his lectures at various universities (Sussex, Geneva, UCLA, New School for Social research) -the latter effort being awarded Outstanding Contribution to Human Thought by the Stanford Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge in 1975 (ref:Kent and Sussex Courier, Friday March 16, 1976) Idries Shah (16 June 1924 - 23 November 1996), also known as Idris Shah, né Sayyid Idris al-Hashimi, was an author and lyricist in the sufist tradition. ... Sufism (Persian: صوفی‌گری Sufi gari, Arabic: تصوف, taá¹£awwuf) is a mystic sect of Islam. ... Portrait of Robert Graves (circa 1974) by Rab Shiell Robert von Ranke Graves (24 July 1895 – 7 December 1985) was an English scholar, poet, and novelist. ... Sufi studies: a particular branch of comparative studies that uses a. ... Max Müller Friedrich Max Müller (December 6, 1823 – October 28, 1900), more commonly known as Max Müller, was a German philologist and Orientalist, one of the founders of Indian studies, who virtually created the discipline of comparative religion. ...

At the start of this particular phase of his work (1962) he received invaluable aid from John G. Bennett, who put some important assets at his disposal -as recorded in: "Witness; the autobiography of John G. Bennet" Turnstone Books 1975; chapter 27: Service and Sacrifice, pp349-363. (this is the enlarged version of the autobiography published shortly after his death in 1974). In pre-internet days this could not be sufficiently appreciated by his students. John Godolphin Bennett, (8th June 1897 - 13th December 1974) was a British mathematician, scientist, technologist, industrial research director, and author. ...

While in the course of his project he published work by Hafiz, Rumi, Ibn Arabi, Shabistari, Attar,Jami, Khayyam, Al-Ghazali and others this was designed to fall outside the scope ofOrientalism; hence the fierce nature of his initial critics. Hafiz or Hafez (Arabic: حافظ), literally meaning guardian, is a term used by Muslims for people who have completely memorized the Quran. ... Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi or Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi Rumi (also known as Mowlavi or Moulana, meaning my guide in Iran, Central and South Asia or Mevlana meaning our guide in Turkey) (September 30, 1207 - December 17, 1273 CE) was a Persian poet and Sufi mystic, who was... BismillahirRahmanirRahim Muhyi l-Din Muhammad b. ... Farid ad-Din Attar (farīdu-d-dīn aṭṭār ; ca. ... Youth seeking his fathers advice Miniature illustration to the Haft Awrang of Jami, in the story A Father Advises his Son About Love See Sufi outlook on male love Freer and Sackler Galleries, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC. Persian youth playing chess with two suitors Illustration to the Haft... Mohammed Zahur Khayyam, better known as Khayyam is an indian music composer whose career spanned across 4 decades (1953 - 1990). ... Al-Ghazali Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali (Arabic: ابو حامد محمد بن محمد الغزالى for short: الغزالى ) (born 1058 in Tus, Khorasan province of Persia, modern day Iran, died 1111 in Tus) was a Muslim theologian, and philosopher, known as Algazel to the Western Medieval world, Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali, or al-Ghazzali as it... Orientalism is the study of Near and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages and peoples by Western scholars. ...

In a symposium (1973) marking the 7OOth commemoration of the death of Jalaluddin Rumi 24 scholars paid tribute to Idries Shah's service to Sufi studies -in: "Sufi Studies East and West" edited by Pr. Rushbrook Williams Johnatan Cape/Octagon Press 1974. In retrospect one particular contribution may be relevated: "Psychology of the Sufi way to individuation" by Pr. Reza Arasteh M.D. -Director of Interdisciplinary Research at the Psychiatric Institute of Washington, who in his academical work had used the successive intellectual stages of Al Ghazali and Rumi to exemplifie possible ways of psychiatric healing through mental integration. He was a pioneering psychiatrist of the humanistic psychology brand with impeccable reference: -a.o."Final Integration in Adult Personality" Brill Leiden 1965; "Creativity in the Life Cycle", with Josephine Arasteh Brill Leiden 1968. Against the background of the 21st century "Clash of Civilisations" this American-Iranian-Afghan exchance is worth noting. The other conributors were equally outstanding. -see: Pr. Leonard Lewin Ph.D. Feature Book Review/Sufi Studies in "International Philosophical Quarterly", Fordham University New York, September 1975 pp353-364. Jalal al-Din Muhammad Rumi or Jalal al-Din Muhammad Balkhi Rumi (also known as Mowlavi or Moulana, meaning my guide in Iran, Central and South Asia or Mevlana meaning our guide in Turkey) (September 30, 1207 - December 17, 1273 CE) was a Persian poet and Sufi mystic, who was... Psychiatry is a branch of medicine that studies and treats mental and emotional disorders (see mental illness). ... Humanistic psychology is a school of psychology that emerged in the 1950s in reaction to both behaviorism and psychoanalysis. ... Cover of The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order The clash of civilizations is a controversial theory in international relations. ...

In reply to Elisabeth Hall who interviewed him in 1975 for "Psychology Today", July 1975: -'For the sake of humanity what would you like to see happen?' Sayyid Idries Shah said -'What I would really want, in case anybody is listening, is for the products of the last 50 years of psychological research to be studied by the public, by everybody, so that the findings become part of their way of thinking (...) they have this great body of psychological information and refuse to use it.' He was by no means referring only to Reza Arasteh [3]. -see: Robert Ornstein ISHK:"The psychology of consciousness"(W.H.Freeman and Co 1972), one of the first general readers to introduce split-brain research; Denise Winn: "The Manipulated Mind - Brainwashing, Conditioning and Indoctrination" (Octagon Press 1983). An interesting psychological experiment by Idries Shah is described in Intentionally blank page. Psychology (ancient Greek: psyche = soul and logos = word) is the study of mind, thought, and behaviour. ... Split-brain is the condition where the corpus callosum connecting the two halves of the brain is severed to some degree. ... Intentionally blank pages at the end of a book An intentionally blank page is a page that is devoid of content, and may be unexpected. ...

As Director of Studies at the Institute for Cultural Research Sayyid Idries Shah did not focus only on psychology; much of the research is in line with the standard set in "Oriental Magic" (1957) (ref: Tahir Shah 1993). His home at Langton House in County Kent, the base of the Institute, drew many visitors and friends, most notably Doris Lessing, but also Ted Hughes, Alan Sillitoe, Desmond Morris, Robert Ornstein [4] ... (ref: Elisabeth Hall 1975) Psychology (Gk: psyche, soul or mind + logos, speech) is an academic and applied field involving the study of the mind, brain, and behavior, both human and nonhuman. ... Doris Lessing, CH, OBE (born October 22, 1919), is a British writer, born Doris May Taylor in Kermanshah, Persia (Iran). ... Edward James Hughes, OM, referred to normally as Ted Hughes, (August 17, 1930 – October 28, 1998) was an English poet and childrens writer. ... Alan Sillitoe (born March 4, 1928) is an English writer, one of the Angry Young Men of the 1950s. ... Dr Desmond Morris (born 24 January 1928 in the village of Purton, UK) is most famous for his work as a zoologist and ethologist. ...

In 1975 Elisabeth Hall noted that Shah's greatest fear was that world tensions would sharpen until he would be forced to choose between East and West (in: Psychology Today July 1975). His students will argue that he would never choose, and although some of the visions scetched in "Destination Mecca" (Rider, London 1957) have materialised with a vengeance his compasionate humanity is safeguarded by his children. Both Sairah Shah ("Beneath the Veil", "Death in Ghaza")[5] and Tahir Shah ("Kosovo Kids") [6] have dedicated themselves to reporting the dark deeds for which each and everyone of us is responsible. Truly, as Viktor Frankl would have said, a case for tragic optimism.(see also:[7]) Mans search for meaning Viktor Emil Frankl, M.D., Ph. ...

Sayyid Idries Shah died in 1996. On his gravestone are the words: "Do not look at my outward shape but take what is in my hand". This could equally well have been: "Gar dast dehad hazar jan-am, dar pai mubarakat fishan-am" (If I had a thousand lives I would scatter them all at your blessed feet) -the verse, so his daughter tells us, that originated the name of his famous ancestor Sayyid Qutubuddin "Jan Fishan" Khan Paghmani. (ref:S.Shah 2003)

How can it Mean Anything?

A group of merchants asked a certain disciple: -"How can this Sufi nonsense mean anything to you?" He said: -"Because it means everything to those whom I respect." (Sayyid Idries Shah in: "The Magic Monastery" Octagon Press 1981)

References

• N.P.Archer compilation:"Idries Shah, Printed World, International Collection 8" London 1977
• Halima Shali compilation:"Shah, International Press Review Collection 9" London 1979
• Elisabeth Hall:"The Sufi Tradition/At Home in East and West" in: Psychology Today, July 1975
• Bashir M.Dervish:"Idris Shah:a contemporary promotor of Islamic Ideas in the West" in: Islamic Culture -an English Quarterly Vol L no4 October 1976- Published by the Islamic Culture Board, Hyderabad India
• W.D.Begg:"The Holy Biography of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti" U.S.A. 1977
• "1910-1950:Forty years of Sufism" Special International Issue of the Sufi Quarterly Autumn 1950 Geneva
• John Lall:"Begam Samru -Fading Portrait in a Guilded Frame" Lotus Collection Roli Books New Delhi 1997
• Richard Perceval Graves:"Robert Graves and The White Goddess 1940-1985" (biography) Weidenfeld and Nicolson London 1995
• Reza Arasteh:"Rumi the Persian, the Sufi" Routledge and Kegan Paul 1974
• Tahir Shah ed.:"Cultural Research: Papers on Regional Cultures and Culture-Mixing" The Octagon Press London 1993
• Sirdar Ikbal Ali Shah:"Islamic Sufism"(1933) Published by S.Sajid Ali for Adam Publishers & Distributors, Shandar Market, Chitli Qabar, Delhi-6 at Chaman Offset Press, N.Delhi-2 1998 (ISBN 81-7435-147-3) -see also:Tractus Books July 2000

warning: the author of this article has no affiliation to Sufism

External links

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